A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of golf training devices, more specifically, an accessory that attaches onto the handle of a putter for use in practicing a smooth pendulum for a putting stroke.
Maintaining a true pendulum putting stroke is very important while on the putting green. A true pendulum will prevent a golfer from “pushing” the golf ball to either side of the hole.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As a preliminary note, it should be stated that there is an ample amount of prior art that deals with putter teaching aids. As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses an apparatus that attaches itself onto the handle of a putter and of which aids in teaching a smooth pendulum putter swing; pivot point with respect to a bottom bracket; wherein the bottom bracket is responsible for securement of the accessory to the handle of the putter; wherein the pivot point enables the upper grip to rotate along a vertical plane, which aids in teaching a smooth pendulum used in a putter stroke; wherein an end user grabs the upper grip with a first hand while holding the putter handle in a second hand, and said end user performs a smooth pendulum stroke with said putter.
The Mundt et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,738) discloses an attachment for the hand of a human which is a freely, pivotally mounted handle located on a shaft extending from an elongated clamping member that is longitudinally movable to clamp the grip of the putter within a housing in which the grip is received. However, the attachment does not teach the use of an upper grip that is aligned above a bottom bracket and putter such that an end user holds a first hand upon the upper grip and a second hand upon the putter and bottom bracket in order to conduct a smooth pendulum with the putter.
The Monaco Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,630) discloses a device for controlling and stabilizing the gripping of a golf club comprising a handle that is clamped to the contentional grip of the golf club shaft. However, the device does not teach an accessory that attaches onto a putter handle and of which includes an upper grip that pivots about the putter to teach a pendulum stroke.
The Coombe Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,361) discloses a golf putter with an extension handle receiving an upper distal end of an associated golf putter. However, the golf putter includes the pivoting upper handle, and is not accessory that attaches, onto and disconnects from the handle of an existing putter.
The Mitchell et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,160,199) discloses a golf training device comprising an attachment socket for attaching the device on top of a hand grip of a golf club. Again, the device does not teach the use of an upper grip that is aligned above a bottom bracket and putter such that an end user holds a first hand upon the upper grip and a second hand upon the putter and bottom bracket in order to conduct a smooth pendulum with the putter.
The Leonard Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,056) discloses a device having a sleeve for attaching onto the golf club for training a golfer to swing a golf club using his/her shoulders rather than wrists. However, the device is directed to locking a wrist of an end user and not to teaching a true pendulum putting stroke of which an accessory attaches onto a handle of a putter.
The Juliano Patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 363,966) illustrates a design of a golf aid for putting practice, which does not depict an accessory that attaches onto a handle of a putter.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe an apparatus that attaches itself onto the handle of a putter and of which aids in teaching a smooth pendulum putter swing; wherein the accessory includes an upper grip that pivots about a pivot point with respect to a bottom bracket; wherein the bottom bracket is responsible for securement of the accessory to the handle of the putter; wherein the pivot point enables the upper grip to rotate along a vertical plane, which aids in teaching a smooth pendulum used in a putter stroke; wherein an end user grabs the upper grip with a first hand while holding the putter handle in a second hand, and said end user performs a smooth pendulum stroke with said putter. In this regard, the self-attaching golf putter aid departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.